Deep well pump



Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Okla., assignors of one-half to Dunn & Lewis,

a partnership composed of Irwin L. Dunnand James 0. Lewis, Tulsa, Okla.

Application May 2.4, 1935, Serial No. 23,203

13 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps, and particularly to those of the character employed in lifting fluids from oil and other Wells wherein pumping conditions are severe due to the cutting and abrasive action on the working' parts and packing elements of the pump incidental t the sand or other abrasive material contained in the well iiuid. Mineralized water, which often accompanies oil, also tends to corrode the metal parts of the pump and stiien the packing so that it is rendered less eiective and cannot operate at its full capacity. These effects result in a churning action which in the presence of water causes emulsions that are expensive to separate. To alleviate these diiculties to some extent the packing material is pressed with such force that the friction of the packing against the working barrel will not let the travelling valve or the piston drop readilyr on the down o stroke with the result that the length of stroke and pumping rate is materially decreased,

v,It is, therefore, vthe -principal object .of the present invention to provide a pump and pump packing constructed to. overcome these difficultiesin order that the pump can be operated efficiently and under full capacity over long periods of time.

In accomplishing this and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter Ypointed out, we have 0 provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated inthe ac'- companying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 isa vertical sectional view of the lower portion of a well equipped with a pump and pump packing construction embodying the features'of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the working barrel and traveling ,valve to better illustrate the packing construction whereby a more effective seal is established between the `traveling valve and the wallof the barrel. l

Fig. 3 is a, similar view illustrating the release of pressure of the packing against the wall of 45 the Working barrel during the downstroke of the traveling valve.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective viewof one of the packing rings.

Fig. 5 is a vertical ysection similar to Fig. 2 showing an alternate form of packing construction.

tainer rings employed in the construction shown in Fig. 5.v

Referring more in detail to-the drawing:

. well iiuid Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the re- ,I

(Cl. S-225) I designates the bore holeof an ,oil or similar well equipped with a pump 2 embodying the features of the present invention and which is adapted for elevating the oil which collects within the bore hole to the top of the well through a string of tubing 3 as in conventional practice.

'I'he pump 2 includes a.l cylinder or working barrel 4 having its upper end 5 threadedly connected with the lower end of the tubing 3 by means of.a coupling 6, and its lower end 'I connected with a depending strainer section 8 by means of a special coupling 9. The lower end of the strainer section 8, being supported on the bottom ofthe well, retains the working barrel at a desired elevation for admittance of the oil into the-barrel incidental to ow eifectedby a natural formation pressure of the oil producing sand.

Mounted in the coupling 9, as in conventional practice, is a standing valve II having a Saa-t I2#y encircling a `port I3 therein through whicl.-:e'/l

is drawn into the interior of the work` ing barrel responsive to the upstroke of a traveling valve I4, later described. Upon the downi stroke of the traveling valve the well uid is turned to a smaller diameter to provide a V- v shaped annular recessed shoulder 2U to accommodate the packing elements 2I that are sleeved over the reduced portion of the piston, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, The upper end 22 of the reduced portion I3 is externally threadedas at 23 rtol threadedly connect with an upper guide member 24.

The upper guide member 24 conforms in diameter to the lower member I8 and has an internally threaded socket 25 at its lower end to engage the reduced portion I9. The opposite end of themember 24 terminatesin a reduced externally threaded neck 26 which forms an annular shoulder 2l to seat a cage 28 that retains a ball valve 29. Extending axially through the guide members of the piston is a channel 3| through which well uid is transferred upon down-stroke of the piston to be trapped abovethe piston on its upstroke incidental to seating of the ball valve 29. The ball valve 29 seats upon a ring insert 32 lthat has a shouldered portion 334 inset into a counter-bore 34 at the upper end of the guide member 24, and has an upwardly extending collar portion 35 providedwith an annularseat 36 for the ball valve 29. The valve cage 28 terminates in an externally threaded pin 31 for engaging the internally threaded box 38 on the lowermost section of a string of sucker rods 39, whereby the traveling valve is reciprocated Within the working barrel, as in conventional practice.

With the construction thus far described, it

will .be .noted that when the traveling valve is v lifted by the rods, upon theup-stroke of the pump, the suction created in the lower end of the working barrel will draw the well fluid through the standing valve, and on the down-stroke the standing valve will seat to cause the entrapped oil to ow through the channel 3| into the upper end of the barrel, so that on the up-stroke seating of the ball 29 will cause the working valve to lift the column of oil in the tubing while an vadditional supply is drawn into the lower end of the barrel Aso that upon eacl succeeding up-stroke of the pump a quantity of oil is displaced from the top of the well.

It will be noted that the packing elements prevent ow of well fluid back between the traveling valves and the walls of the working barrel and it is upon the effectiveness of this packing that the success of the pump depends.

It is, therefore, necessary that the packings seal tightly with the wall of the working barrel upon the upstroke of the lpump, but upon the downstroke the packing should contract to allow free downward movement of the traveling valve.

In carrying out this feature the packing elements 2l include rings 40 constructed of flexible resilient material, shaped to provide spaced concentrically arranged, upwardly extending lips 4| and 42 to respectively engage the inner surface'of the working barrel and the exterior surface of the reduced portion I9 of the piston. The lips 4I are provided with downwardly converging beveled edges 43 and 44, and their lower portions are connected by a web portion 45 having similarlybeveled lower faces 46 and 41 to interengage with the beveled edges 43 and 44 of a next lower ring, as shown in Fig. 2, while the faces 46 and 41 of the lowest ring engage the faces of the recessed shoulder '20. The rings are thus mounted in nested relation, so that as the traveling valve moves on the upstroke, the pressure of the fluid acting upon the upper ring presses the lips into respective sealing engagement with the surface of the working barrel and the tubular extension I9 of the piston to prevent backward passage of the fluid.

On the down-stroke of the traveling valve, the pressure -acting on the underside faces 46 and 41 of the rings causes the lips to contract from the surfaces to be sealed, as shown in Fig. 3, to allow the traveling valve to move readily and freely within the working barrel and also to allow any sand thatmay be on the walls of the working barrel to pass without abrading either the working surfaces or the packing. A

In order to employ this principle effectively the packing ring is constructed of a material having suilicient flexibility to allow the lips to expand and contract, but which is stout enough to hold the uid column above the traveling valve.

In cross-section the rings are substantially V- shaped so that the lips normally spread outwardly toward the surfaces they engage and bear in light contact therewith prior to application of the applied pressures incidental to reciprocation of the traveling valve.

'I'he inner diameter of the rings are preferably of slightly larger diameter than the reduced extension I9 of the piston so that they can turn freely thereon and also have slight vertical movement longitudinally thereof during change of direction of the traveling valve.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the individual packing rings are supported by retainer rings -48 including sleeve portions having inner diameters of sufficient size to fit around the reduced extension I9 of the piston and of sufficient length so that when the lowermost retainer is seated upon the shoulder 49 the upper retainer hasits end engaged against the lower end of the upper guide member as best shown in Fig. 5. The retainers are retained in fixed sealing engagement with the piston to prevent leakage therebetween. To further enhance the seal each retainer ring has a beveled -edge 50 to seat within a beveled recess 5| formed -on the bottom of the next upper retainer.

Extending circumferentially of each sleeve portion of the retiner'rings are lateral flanges 52 having V-shaped annular seats'53 in their upper faces to seat the V-shaped portions of the individual packing rings which are of the same type as described in the preferred form of the invention.

It is thus apparent that in this construction each of the packing rings is supported on the piston independently of the others, so that the lips thereof are independently free to sealingly engage the respective surfaces in a manner similarly'to the corresponding lips of the rings in the preferred form of the invention.

In using a pump of the type shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the pressure of the well fluid acting upon the lips of the upper sealing element. when the piston is reciprocated in an upward direction, acts against the beveled upper ends thereof to enhance their seal with the respective contact surfaces of the Working barrel and to effect a corresponding outward pressure on the lower rings incidental to the interengaging beveled surfaces. Uponv the down-stroke the pressure acting on the V-shaped lower side of the lower ring causes the outer lips 43 to contract toward the inner lips and release the seal to permit free downward movement of the piston.

Should any sand have collected upon the surface of the wall of the working barrel, it will pass between the lips of the rings without causing an abrading action upon the surfaces of the working barrel or on the sealing surfaces of the packing rings. During reciprocation of the Atraveling valve the packing rings are free to move larities of the working barrel. The flexibility of Y the rings helps to .naintain the seal of the rings on the upstroke for the reason that when one ring is flexing over a surface irregularity one or more of the other rings are in contact with smooth surfaces of the barrel to maintain the seal. The flexible lips`also wipe off sand on the up-stroke rather than to grind it against the working surfaces, while they permit the sand to pass between the packing rings and the, worlL'Jg 1 barrel on the down-stroke.

The packing rings in the form of invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 operate substantially in the same manner, but depend upon the direct action of the iiuid rather than the wedging action of the nested packing rings.

From the foregoing it is apparent that we have provided a pump and packing construction which is more eicient in operation and can be kept operating at its maximum capacity over long periods of time, since we have reduced the wear and increased the effective life of the packing elements.

While we have described the packing rings in association with a denite type of pump, it is obvious that they can be employed in other types of pumps, such as the plungeryand liner types, withgagement upon movement ofthe traveling mem-A ber in the opposite direction.

2. In a pump including a working barrel, a traveling member reciprocable within the Working barrel, a plurality of nested V-shaped packing rings mounted on said member and having lips respectively engaging said'lworking barrel and said member to effect a seal with the working barrel upon reciprocation of the traveling memf' ber in one direction and kcontractible from said sealing engagement upon reciprocation of the traveling member in the opposite direction.

3. vIn a pump including a working barrel and y a traveling valve reciprocable within the working barrel, the traveling valve having guide portions connected by a reduced cylindrical portion, a plurality of nested V-shaped packing ringsireciprocably and'loosely mounted on said reduced portion and Vhaving lips respectively engaging said working barrel and said reduced portion to effect a seal with the working barrel upon reciprocation of the traveling valve in one direction and contractible from said sealing engagement upon reciprocation of the traveling valve in the opposite direction.

4. In a` pumpincluding a Working barrel, a traveling valve reciprocable within the working barrel and having guide portions connected by a reduced cylindrical portion, a plurality of exible packing rings having lips respectively engaging said working barrel and'said reduced portion to effect a seal with the Working barrel upon reciprocation of the traveling Valve in one direction and contractible from said sealing engagement -upon reciprocation of the traveling valve in the opposite direction, and retainers'on said reduced portion for supporting said packing rings.

5. In a pump including a working barrel, a,

traveling valvev reciprocable within the working barrel and having guide portions connected by a reduced cylindrical portion, a plurality of V-shaped packing rings reciprocably and looselyl mounted on said reduced portion and having lips respectively engaging said working barrel and said reduced portion to elect a seal with the working-barrel upon reciprocation of the traveling valve in one direction and contractible from said sealing engagement upon reciprocation of the traveling valve inthe opposite direction, and retainers spacing said packing rings.

6. vIn a pump including ya working barrel and a traveling valve reciprocable within the working barrel, a plurality of V-shaped packing rings reciprocably and loosely supported on the traveling valve and having spaced lips respectively engaging the traveling valve and said Working barrel to seal the space therebetween responsive to stroke of the traveling valve in one direction and to release said sealing engagement upon movement of the traveling valve in the opposite direction, said lips having converging beveled edges engaging the V-shaped portions of said packing rings. f '7. In a pump including, a cylinder and a pis- Atori slidably engaging the cylinder, and a packslidable `relative thereto, said packing element having lips respectively engaging saidcylinder and piston responsive to pressure applied to one side of said packing Ielement and releasable from said engagement upon pressure applied to the opposite side of said element incidental to reciprocation of the piston.

9. In a pump including a cylinder and a pis-- ton slidably engaging the cylinder, and a packng element movably mounted on the piston and slidable relative thereto, said packing element being of V-shaped cross-section and having lip portions respectively engaging said cylinder and piston responsive to fluid pressure applied to one side of said element and releasable from said engagement upon pressure applied to the` opposite side incidental to reciprocation of the piston.

l0. In a pump including a cylinder and a piston slidably engaging the cylinder, and a plurality of superimposed packingv elements loosely carried by the piston and slidable relative thereto, said packing elements having spaced lips respectively engaging said cylinder and piston, whereby application ofl pressure to one side of the packing elements effects sealing contact of said lips and whereby pressure applied to the opposite side of the packing elements contracts saidl lips from said sealing contact.

11. In a pump including a cylinder and a piston slidably engaging the cylinder, and a plusaid sealing contact incidental to reciprocation of said piston.

elements from said sealing contact incidental to reciprocation of said piston.

13. In a pump including a cylinder, a piston reciprocable within the cylinder and having a reduced extension, a`plurality of packing rings reciprocably supported on the reduced extension and having spaced lip portions provided with converging beveled edges, and having V-shaped portions whereby the v-shaped portions of one packing ring engage the beveled lip portions of an adjacent packing ring to cause movement of said lip portions' into sealing engagement with said piston and cylinder when the packing rings reciprocate incidental to movement of the piston in one direction and to allow ilow of fluid between said lip portions when the piston is moved in the opposite direction.

HAROLD S. CROOKS.

GEORGE HIGHFIEID. 

